The Handlebar Club Forum

I invested in a trial-sized pot of Lush Retread. Boy, is that stuff expensive!

I am looking for several things from you:

1. Why did you buy this stuff (to tame mustache frizzys, to make hair sleek, etc.)

2. Did Retread do what you wanted it to do?

Since I believe I was the first person to bring it up on the forum...

1. I bought Retread on the advice of one of the girls at the local Lush. I use a lot of heat on my 'tache (curler, straightener, dryer), and was worried about the health of the hairs. She said it was the strongest conditioner they had, and it's free from a lot of the chemicals in other conditioners.

2. The ends of my tache stay soft and healthy despite all the punishment they take from styleing, so I'd say yes, it does what I wanted it to. My 'tache overall is softer and more manageable.

3. For the price, I know it's more for you gents across the pond, but one large pot of the stuff lasted me a whole year, and that's with my wife ocassionally using it on her hair (I only ever use it on my 'tache).

Thanks, Nick. Glad it worked for you. I am using it in my 'stache, only, and I'm on the third day. I am finding that it makes me have to put a lot less wax in the middle.

Yes, I find it really makes the centre more responsive to training.

I have found definite "fullness" that wasn't there before. I will keep experimenting with it. Thanks again.

So how long do you leave this on for? When I use conditioner in my hair I use it like shampoo, massage it in and rinse straight out.

Eeek! Mrdjthc - if you're doing it like that, you may as well just pour it straight down the plughole instead!

You need to leave it in for a few minutes at least, for it to be absorbed into the 'scales' of the hairs. Even then, it's debatable whether rinse-out conditioner actually does make much difference - what do others say? I know I advocate various conditioning products, but I'm not really convinced that it's not just due to how you dry and what you put on afterwards that makes your hair "softer and more manageable"...

David

Retread should be left in for a bit (I put it on the 'tache, wash my hair, then rinse it out). I do nothing different after I get out of the shower whether I've used it or not. Retread is strong stuff, it definitely makes a difference.

On recommendation of Nick D, I starting using Retread about a year ago to restore the condition of my damaged 'tache, tame the frizzies, and help the more stubborn grey comply.

Retread is triple strength and I initially used it as a weekly treatment, not a daily conditioner - although I have now put it into rotation with other rinse-out conditioners that I may use twice to three times a week. By weekly conditioning treatment I mean that I apply it at bedtime and leave it in until morning. Of the conditioners I use I can attest that Retread makes the most noticeable difference. That is to say that on the day it's used I can see and feel a positive difference from the other conditioners. It's strong, controls frizz and makes my whiskers more pliable to work with. I'll add that all the conditioners I use are "cone" free.

As many here already know, I eschew the use of styling aids (wax, glue or hairspray) on daily basis. I find that I can apply and leave in some Retread during the styling process and achieve what I want with just a comb, brush and blow dryer. I'm not bothered or have a need to have it look competition worthy every day.

As to economic cost. I have only used about one-third of the container in twelve months. My only concern is separation and shelf-life. Regardless, it was money well spent. Thanks Nick D.

Thanks, Schnauzer. Sorry it has taken a bit for me to get back to you.

I have found as a rinse-out conditioner that LR does not make a lot of difference for me. It did the first day or so, but after that not much. I don't really have problem hair, though. I will try leaving it in overnight and see what happens.

I recently bought a tub and have been using it 2-4 times per week. I bought it based on recommendations from this very forum, as I feel my moustache could be a bit softer and less coarse.

Initially I used it during the shower and rinsed it out after a minute or so, but i've found it works much better if I apply it to damp hair and just leave it for about an hour. It made my head hair feel great and the tache a bit softer, but I think I need quite a few more applications before I get the results I'm after.

However, I must say that I really dislike the smell of this product.

@will - smell - I liked it at first, but it DOES have a very strong oily smell to it as an undertone. I'm not fond of that.

1. Bought it on the recommendation of Nick and Schnauzer - started going no-poo last year and haven't looked back.

2. It definitely has done the trick. Dry hair no more.

Despite my personal satisfaction with use of this product (Retread) I should include a caveat emptor.

The product's ingredients include several oils - soybean, olive, avocado, and others, including jojoba. While the oils are good for conditioning and revitalizing hair, some of these oils contain triglycerides, which are susceptible to oxidation. Pure jojoba does not contain triglycerides, but some of the others do and can turn rancid.

I should also point out that Retread and Jungle (a lower cost alternative recommended by WhiskyWhiskers) both contain SLS (a detergent and surfactant) on their list of ingredients. At the time of purchase I questioned the retailer as to why it would be found in a conditioner. I was told it is combined with Ceteary Alcohol and acts as an emulsifier to help stabilise the ingredients in the product, and amounts to less than 1%. Retread also contains two parabens - methyl- and propyl-. So, buyer (user) beware.

@Schnauzer

I purchased a tub of Retread a few weeks ago. Ive been using it as a styling aid for the day. I still put a bit of wax in the tips though. I am very satisfied with the feel and look it's been giving my mustache. You seem to be fairly knowledgeable about the contents of good quality conditioners. I've heard things around here about cones and tates I think. What would your quick opinion on these ingredients be...?

Purified water, Emulsifying wax, Behentrimonium methosulfate (from natural Canola oil), Cetearyl alcohol, Cyclomethicone (from natural silica), Dimethicone (from natural silica), Shea Butter, Green tea extract, Matricaria (Chamomile) extract, Sage extract, Hydrolyzed oat protein, Hydrolyzed rice protein, French lavender essential oil, Washington peppermint essential oil, Tunisian rosemary essential oil, Panthenol, Citric acid, Guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride (from Guar plant), Sorbic acid, Cetrimonium chloride, Disodium EDTA.

I'd like to purchase the conditioner as a backup for the Retread (although I might have that tub for three years at the rate I'm using it) and it costs half that of the Retread.